Micro-Moments Part 2: I-Want-To-Buy

The rise of mobile has led to the creation of what Google calls “micro-moments,” giving brands new opportunities to shape customer decisions and preferences. This is part two of Anvil’s mobile series, (click here for part one) where we’ll take a look at “I-Want-To-Buy” micro-moments.

The average person looks at their phone over 150 times a day. It’s no surprise that mobile is often turned to when the urge to shop hits. Whether you’re standing in line to get a coffee and suddenly want a French press, see a cool toy at the dog park that Scarlett has to have, or standing in the aisle at Walgreens trying to figure out which eyebrow pencil will not make you look like a cartoon character, most people turn to their phone—mobile is the new shopping assistant.

Fast Stats on Mobile Shopping:

82% of smartphone users consult their phones while in a store deciding what to buy

Mobile conversion rate increased 29% in the past year

115% increase in shopping searches coming from smartphones

65% of shoppers begin their shopping activity on their mobile devices

46% of shoppers complete their purchase on their mobile devices

81% of shoppers, shop spontaneously on mobile devices

41% shop outside of the home on mobile devices

45% shoppers search for unbranded products (e.g. dog toys)

Although the term “micro-moments” was coined by Google, I-Want-To-Buy moments span all e-commerce sites. In fact, 55% of online shoppers start their product searches on Amazon. Even when a potential customer finds the product they’re looking for on a retailer’s site, they’ll still compare it to Amazon’s selection and prices. Users cite Amazon’s filtering, ease of checkout and Prime shipping as reasons they prefer this platform to others.

What Does This Mean for Brands?

You need to have a presence on both platforms. This is an opportunity many brands miss. Take a look at the screenshots below. We performed a search using the same unbranded term, “dog toys”, on Amazon and Google within a minute of each other. The results were completely different—none of the brands were present on both platforms.

If your goal is to drive sales on your own site (not Amazon), you must consider the experience after the click.

58% of smartphone users are more likely to buy from companies whose mobile sites and/or apps allow them to make purchases quickly.

To speed up checkout:

Offer the option to checkout as a guest

Make payment quick and easy, you can use third-party payment services like PayPal to speed it up

Provide a click-to-call button for complex tasks

The bottom line is: if you’re a retailer you need to have a digital marketing strategy that takes into account the power of mobile. Heading into the 2016 holiday season, it is predicted that online sales will surpass brick and mortar, and keep in mind that mobile use surpassed desktop almost a year ago now.